ambivalence
by kaitlynnb
Summary: Claire and Ray may sort of have a relationship. They're in for a bumpy ride.
1. chapter one

Claire fell, the concrete around the pool eroding away beneath her foot. She felt panic consume her, limbs thrashing as she tried desperately to swim towards the surface. Her foot caught on something, kelp of some sort latching onto her leg. Something cut through the water like a knife - a tail, a huge, powerful tail swimming around her. The thing - whatever it was, stared at her through the sea weed, and she let out a scream as she met the creature's gaze. Arms pulled her against a hard surface, and the next thing she knew she was breathing in air, her lungs hacking up salt water as she collapsed against Ray's body.

He set her down on a lounge chair, his eyes meeting her's briefly in his frantic stare. His hands moved all around her, trailing from the back of her head, down her arms and onto her abdomen. She coughed up more water, and his fingers pressed against her cheeks as he forced her to look at him. She gave him a slight nod of her head, bewildered at his actions towards her. She could dully hear the commotion around her, but it wasn't until Haley grasped her arm firmly in her hand that she came to. Ray's eyes were still checking her over and over again, and she couldn't help looking over Haley's shoulder for his reassuring gaze.

Her grandfather told Haley to take her home, and even as Haley led her towards their house, she could not stop herself from sneaking glances at Ray. He looked perplexed, as though something we're bothering him, and his chest heaved in exhaust from the exhilaration of their impromptu swim.

That was the first time Claire had ever felt something like that. The twisting of her stomach, the safety of another's arms. She felt as though her head were spinning. She was yet to be sixteen years old, she was just going into sophomore year of high school. She felt so young around everyone else, her naivety and small frame setting her apart from others. But Ray's touch had ignited a flame within her that she could not explain. Even as Haley's hands dried her off with a warm towel, she could not focus on anything but the frightened look in his eyes when she had begun to cough up water. He looked worried for her, and perhaps she was reading into it, but she could've sworn there was panic in his eyes, as though he wished to never see her like that again.

But she was probably reading too much into it.

Ray leaned back in the hot tub, Cecelia's purposeful touching becoming unappealing to him. He saw how mean she was to other girls, particularly Claire and her friend Haley. He wasn't even all that sure why he had agreed to go out with her tonight. He was going to ask Claire's friend Aqua. Aqua was sweet and bubbly, and she was his age. Claire was not his age. There was almost a three year difference between the two of them, and he knew he could never take advantage of her obvious crush on him. He truly felt something for her, he wasn't sure what it was at the moment, but it was different from any lust he'd felt before. It had been there for a while, since he laid eyes on the petite girl.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by Claire herself. His eyes widened considerably, he had not expected to see her there. Here, at a senior party, with alcohol and drugs and boys that would surely take advantage of her nativity. He began to pull himself from the hot tub, she spoke frantically of him breaking Aqua's heart. He'd never meant to hurt Aqua, but when she failed to distract his thoughts of Claire he knew she wasn't the answer to his problems.

He rounded towards her, and soon her finger was pointed at his chest as she tried to make her point. She glared into his collarbone, the top of her head not yet reaching his shoulders. She was scared to be here, that much was obvious. Her eyes were wide and frightened, and her hands shook as she spoke. He had to get her out of here.

But then came Cecelia's voice from behind him, "Hey Nate, the little girl wants to go!" She shouted towards Nate. Ray's eyes widened as he realized the meaning behind her words. It was too late, Nate's arms through her over his shoulder and into the pool after. As soon as she was released into the water, Ray's fist met Nate's face.

Nate doubled over, clutching his nose in his hand. "What the hell was that for, man?" He demanded, but Ray's fury was too hot and coursing to answer his question. He dove in after Claire, finding the girl thrashing under the surface as he had the last time they were in this situation. He carried her soaked frame against his chest as she began to cough, stepping around Nate's crippled frame.

He adjusted her against him, clutching her shivering body to his chest. "She can't swim, you ass." He muttered lowly, before carrying her out of the house. She began to hiccup, her throat raw from the screaming she did before being thrown into the pool. He opened the door to his jeep with one hand, gently setting her into the passenger seat. Her brown eyes met his blue ones as he shuffled around the back seat in search for a towel.

He draped a beach towel around her shoulders, rubbing up and down her arms to keep her from the cold. She smiled gratefully at him, and he clenched his jaw at the thought of Nate and Cecelia in his mind. Her smile dropped from her face, and she gently rested her hand on his arm. His eyes darted to her face, and she slowly slipped her fingers off of his skin. He stared at her for a long time before walking towards the drivers side. He hopped in the car, clenching his fists in an attempt to contain his anger. It failed, and his steering wheel took the beating he presented it with as he slammed his fingers down on the material.

She flinched, and he stopped immediately, his hands reaching for her face. He cupped her cheeks in his palms, and she looked at him with wide eyes. "It's nothing that you did," He promised her, following her line of thought. If possible, her eyes widened. "I'm just mad about what they did to you." He said in a voice so low it was almost a snarl.

She shook her head, "No, they didn't know I couldn't swim, it wasn't their fault." She said, before slumping into her seat. "I shouldn't have come in the first place." She finally muttered. His eyes stay trained on her, a frown ever so present on his face. She ran her hand through hair, shaking out the wet strands with her fingers. His hand suddenly enclosed her wrist, and the next thing she knew his lips were centimeters away from her own.

His breathing had increased considerably, and she could feel his warmth through the towel draped around her body. He moved just the slightest bit toward her, licking his bottom lip quickly. She could feel her eyes widen, and his stare flipped back and forth between her lips and her gaze. "Tell me to stop," He whispered, his voice hoarse. "Tell me to stop right now and I will." He breathed out.

She leaned forward this time, and then his lips had captured her own. Her hands shook, and she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or from the boy who had moved from his seat and was practically laying on top of her. She ran her fingers through his hair, and a particularly harsh tug on his scalp had him making a noise from deep within his throat that she could compare only to a growl. His lips tasted like the ocean - salty and addictive. Her heart was racing in her chest, and she could hear the thrum of her pulse in her ears. His hands trailed over her waist, a shudder arising from her as he ghosted over her rib cage. His mouth moved from her own to trail down her neck, and only then had she noticed her embarrassing panting as she struggled to keep her breathing constant. His teeth scraped against the hollow of her throat, and he released a satisfied hum as he stared down at her. She didn't have time to ask what his smug grin was about before his lips were bruising her own again.

He was the one who finally broke them up, gently pecking her lips one last time as he pulled away. She frowned and tried to capture his lips, but he pulled himself away with a low chuckle. "I want to continue, trust me I do, but I have to get you home." He told her, resting his head on her shoulder as he shifted so he was fully in his seat again. Her fingers moved in his hair one last time, before she detached herself from him completely, and he let out a harsh breath at the loss of contact. He kissed her shoulder before turning his attention to the car, putting the key into the ignition and starting the car. He reached over with his right hand, taking her hand from where it was sitting on her knee, ad intertwining their fingers. A blush appeared on her cheeks, and he pretended not to notice.

The drive back to her house was quick, and the sun was starting to set just as he pulled into the driveway. He hopped out of the drivers seat and made his way around the car. Even when she is sitting in the passenger seat of his jeep while he's standing out of it, he's still just an inch taller than her. He leans in for a kiss, but she makes it more of a peck. "I don't want my grandparents to see," she tells him against his lips. He nods in understanding, he wasn't sure how her family would take to their employee making out with their granddaughter.

She ran towards the house, offering him a small wave as she opened the door to the house. He pulled out of the driveway just as she got up the stairs and she heaved out a breath as she wondered how she was going to come p with an excuse for Aqua and Haley. She shook her head, walking towards the bathroom take a quick shower before calling them. She couldn't avoid them forever.

She moved her damp hair out of her face as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, and she ran her fingers over her lips as she remembered the kisses he had bestowed on them just minutes ago.

The next thing that caught her attention was the circle of purple flesh on her neck, just under her chin. Realization hit her like a wave - he had given her a hickey.

 **ok so this is my new story about a dorky movie that i watched while babysitting about a flipping mermaid like im a seventeen year old girl writing about this lmao but this is gonna be a story story with chapters and stuff so look out for my next update y'all xoxo**


	2. chapter two

**for the sake of the plot, some details are changed, such as the ages of the characters and how long Aqua has to make a human love her lol. enjoy:))**

Claire reached for the phone book, the shelf just above her reach. She jumped onto the counter using her arms, standing on the tile countertop in her socks as she searched through the cabinet. She found the book in the back of the shelf, and she pulled the thin employee phone book out of its hiding place. She searched for Ray's number as she slowly moved to sit on the counter top, plopping down and letting her legs hang over the side. She reached for the home phone - land line, more likely - and thanked whatever God was watching out for her that her grandparents decided to go to cards with their neighbors, meaning she had the house to herself until at least nine, and it was just now going on eight.

She punched in the number on the paper, biting the skin around her thumb as she listened to the line ring. He picked up around the second ring, his voice sounding hoarse as he huffed out a greeting. Her heart started to beat faster just at the sound of his voice. "You gave me a hickey!" She hissed into the speaker, accusation clear in her tone. He let out a chuckle that slowly merged along the lines of hysterical laughter. She felt her cheeks heat up, thinking of him laughing at her. "Ray, it's not funny!" She said, and even then she bit back a giggle at how ridiculous this was. Of course, the first time she'd ever kissed a boy, he'd give her a _hickey_.

His laughter eventually subsided into just humorous breathing, "You're right baby girl, I'm sorry." He said, and she could tell even through the phone that he had a smile on his face. Her cheeks heated up at the nickname, and she drew her bottom lip between her teeth as she tried not to smile. "Hey, listen, I want to take you out on a date. Like a real one, where you're not soaked to the bone and probably half way to hypothermic by now." His voice dripped into seriousness towards the end, and even with the playful tone, she could tell that he was only half joking.

She wanted to say yes - God, she wanted to say yes - but the beautiful girl she'd befriended with the blue streaks who had been working her tail off to get this boy to love her's face popped into her head. She wanted to say yes, but she knew she couldn't. "Ray," She started.

He interrupted her before she could start the second word, "That sounds like you're going to turn me down," He said, and she could hear the pleading in his voice. "Don't turn me down, baby girl." He called her that again, that stupid nickname that had her stomach doing somersaults. There was no way that she could say no to him after that.

She let out a breath, trying to stay true to her friend. "Ray, I would love to. You have no idea, how much I would like to go on a date with you. But Aqua has a huge crush on you, you know she does, and I just don't think I could do that to her." She told him, and for a second she really thought she could believe that too.

He didn't take that answer for a second, letting out a huff. "Claire, I don't like Aqua. I like you - a lot more than I had ever been willing to admit." She sucked at the inside of her cheek, biting down a bit. "And, judging by the mark you let me leave on your neck, you like me at least a little bit." He told her cheekily, and she gasped.

His laughter only grew when he heard her gasp from the other line. "If you were here right now, I would have punched you in the shoulder by now." She told him with an eye roll. He laughed again, and she bit back a smile at the sound of his boyish giggles.

She fiddled with the swirling wire of the land line, propping her head up on her knees as she leaned against the cabinet. His voice came from the other side of the line again, "So, I'll pick you up at eight tomorrow night? Tacky Jack's sound good?" He asked, and the smile in his voice was unmistakable. She couldn't help the smile that tugged on her lips this time.

She shook her head before answering. "Yes. One date, and that will prove to you that you really like Aqua, not me. I'm really not that interesting, I promise." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

He grew quiet from his side of the line and she was about to ask him if he was okay before his voice broke the silence. "Don't doubt yourself, baby girl. You'd be surprised at just how interesting you are." A blush grew again on her cheeks once more as his voice had grown deeper in the mere moments they weren't talking. Oh, and there was also that nickname. That stupid, stupid nickname that had her pulse racing a million miles per minute at this point.

She moved in her spot, his comment making her momentarily warm. "Alright, alright, there's no point in arguing with you. I'll see you tomorrow." She told him, but she wasn't going to hang up until he did. "Oh, and do you have any tips on covering up a hickey?" She asked teasingly.

She could hear him shifting from the other side of the phone, "Don't cover it up. I like people to know that I gave that to you." He said, half joking and half completely serious. She resisted the urge to tell him that they couldn't tell people about this, it couldn't get back to Aqua. She already felt guilty enough about the whole of it.

Still, a smile threatened at her lips. "I'll see you tomorrow," She said again. He responded the same - with a baby girl thrown in at the end, the damnable boy - and it was clear that he wasn't going to hang up first, so she took the initiative. It was easier than she had expected, because the grin that grew on her features surprised her. She didn't know why she was so happy, but she was. She would have to get into her grandmother's stash of makeup tomorrow morning to cover up the purple bruise sitting on her skin before she went shopping with the girls, but she was happy. She locked the front door before walking upstairs, grabbing her book from the bedside table and opening her windows, allowing in the salty sea breeze. It smelt like Ray. She tried to read her book, but soon the steady crash of the waves on the shore lulled her into sleep.

She woke early the next morning, and climbed out of bed in a sunny haze. She opened the balcony doors of her bedroom, walking on the white wood with bare feet. It was nearly nine in the morning, and yet the lifeguards were already at work. _He_ sat on the chair, watching as three children chased one another with seaweed, splashing around in the ocean. A smile tugged at her lips, and she wrapped her arms around herself as the cool ocean breeze chilled her skin. Her phone rang from inside her room, and she spun on her heel as she went to pick it up from her desk. Haley's name shone on the caller ID, and she picked it up with the smile on her lips diminishing. She had never lied to Haley before, she didn't know how she was going to keep this new development from her best friend. It was a miracle she hadn't already called her to let her know out of complete guilt.

Haley's voice is peppy even this early in the morning, "Hey, I'm coming to pick you up in twenty minutes, and be sure to bring a couple beach towels for Aqua. I totally forgot to grab some before I left, and I'm picking us all up some bagels on my way to come get you." She said, and it was obvious that she was otherwise distracted.

Claire stared at her reflection in the mirror, poking at the purple mark over her collar bone. "Yeah, sounds great." Her lack of response gave her away. "Are you in the car right now?" She asked, but her tone was accusatory. She didn't like it when Haley talked in the car, it made her nervous, but of course her best friend wasn't one to listen to advice.

Haley's truck must have made a turn, because she could hear the screeching of the tires against a gravel road. "No, why would you ever say that?" Her best friend sucks at lying, even if it's teasing, much like Claire herself.

Claire shook her head as she raked her fingers through her tangled hair. "I'm hanging up now. See you in twenty." She said before ending the call. She moved towards her closet, opening the door and shifting through her clothes. She pulled out a pair of light skinny jeans and a white t-shirt, shrugging them on and throwing on a pair of sneakers. She brushed through her hair quickly and threw it up into a pony tail, before moving into her grandmother's bathroom and searching through foundations to match her skin tone. It ended up being a shade too dark against her pale skin, but with a coat of powder it didn't look nearly as bad.

A horn honked from the front of the house, and Claire grabbed two beach towels as she made her way to the front door. She unlocked it and slipped out of the opening, starting towards Haley's beat-up red truck. She hopped into the passenger seat, throwing the towels into the back and fastening her seatbelt. "Seatbelt," She reminded Haley as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and she tried not to think of Haley driving without one on.

The radio blared as they made their way down the dirt road towards the water tower. Claire grabbed the extra pair of sunglasses from the cup holder, blocking out the sun as they turned into the parking lot. She hopped out of the car first, followed closely behind by Haley. She handed her the towels from the backseat, waiting patiently for her friend to take them. "Are you sure you don't want to come up with me?" Haley asked.

Claire glanced up at the tower before shaking her head. "No, you go ahead. I'll be fine, throw me the keys so I can listen to the radio while you two try not to fall off." She teased before Haley threw the keys in her direction. She walked over to the drivers side of the truck and climbed in the seat just as Haley was climbing the first few rungs of the ladder.

The radio was playing Photograph on some country station, and this was the first time Claire had really let herself think about what had happened last night. Memories of his lips and the scent of sea salt overwhelm her senses, and she shudders as she tries to bring herself back down to earth. Her fingers unconsciously move to the mark he had left on her skin, suppressing another shudder as she comes into contact with the tender flesh. She is careful not to smudge the makeup, but the slight pain is a reminder that the kiss actually happened. A small smile appears on her lips as she thinks about his hands on her skin, the heat of his breath. His presence brings forth an entirely new inflow of emotions. He makes her feel alive.

It isn't long before Aqua is opening the back seat, and Claire climbs over the cup holders and radio to sit back in the passenger seat just as Haley climbs into the drivers side. Aqua taps a finger on her shoulder, a grin on her face as Claire turns around. "Haley and I have an idea that will make Ray fall in love with me by next Friday!" She giggles, and her happiness is so pure-hearted that it's blinding.

And once again Claire is reminded why she can't have feelings for Ray. The sunshine girl with a heart of gold.


End file.
